The Healthcare Business Association (HBA) at UCLA Anderson School of Management provides professional connections and education to students interested in the business of health care. Whether members are interested in the business of health care products, (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device) and/or services (e.g., consulting, provider, payer), the HBA’s offerings prepare members for successful recruitment and careers in health care–related fields. Additionally, the HBA prepares members who are interested in the intersection of health care and other disciplines, such as technology, finance, operations and entrepreneurship.

Activities include our annual health care conference, VITALS; career night; speaker series; case competition; alumni networking; educational events; and industry outreach. Our organization consists of more than 130 full-time, fully employed and executive MBAs, and continues to attract students in the greater UCLA community. In addition, we aim to serve as a nexus for health care industry information exchange at UCLA and in the business community.

HBA Officers

Kota Uyeda

President

Gabrielle Larus

EVP

Alex Hart

VP of Admissions

Nistish Bhagia

VP of Case Competition

Shiela Murali

VP of Career Development

Alexa Grimes

VP of Conference (VITALS)

Clara Jaques

VP of Conference (VITALS)

Van Nguyen

VP of Conference (VITALS)

Austin Grade

VP of External Development

Winston Neville

VP of External Development

Joseph Schwappach

VP of External Development

Patty Nguyen

VP of Finance

Suzanne Said

VP of FEMBA/EMBA Relations

Nishant Dani

VP of Information Technology

Christina Chen

VP of Marketing and Communications

Arya Baghkhanian

VP of Membership Engagement

Jeff Wang

VP of Operations

Kyle Cross

VP of Partnerships

Zane Goodwin

VP of Strategic Initiatives

Events

HBA Networking Night The HBA Networking Night is the first opportunity for members to network with recruiters. Held in early October, this event kicks off the recruiting season and gives students a chance to start building relationships with recruiters over drinks and appetizers.

HBA Career Night The HBA Career Night is the club’s premier event for recruiting. Held in early November, Career Night offers students opportunities to network with recruiters and learn about internship and full-time opportunities over dinner in a roundtable format. Career Night also features keynote speakers from top-tier HBA sponsors, who deliver informative presentations about their firms.

VITALS Annual Health Care Conference VITALS is one of the largest university-led health care events in Southern California, connecting 300-plus business professionals, students and members of academia from across the state. Panels and keynotes feature marquee executives, thinkers and practitioners from a diversity of organizations influencing the future of health care

Case Competition The HBA Case Competition offers the opportunity for its members to participate in a case competition sponsored by companies within the health care industry. Students form small teams to deliver a recommendation to resolve a specific problem provided by a company facing a business challenge. The case competition provides a chance for students to apply their business prowess in a hands-on forum and to network with recruiters from the sponsoring companies.

Days on the Job (DOJs) DOJs are week-long treks to top health care firms, which provide students an opportunity to learn more about companies’ cultures and internship opportunities. Previous years’ treks have been to San Francisco and San Diego. Additionally, the HBA plans DOJs throughout the fall and winter quarter to local health care firms.

Speaker Series The HBA hosts several speaker series throughout the academic school year. These panels bring established health care professionals to campus and provide a unique learning opportunity to HBA members. Previous speaker series have included the former CEO of Johnson & Johnson, L.A. Trust for Children’s Health (in collaboration with Net Impact), UCLA Technology Development Group, the UCLA Business of Science Center, and Healthcare x Tech (in collaboration with AnderTech).

Health Care Career Development and Interview Preparation The HBA offers invaluable educational workshops and tools to prepare for both internship and full-time opportunities. In the fall quarter, the HBA provides its members with a Healthcare 101 series to help educate and prepare those without a health care background. Additionally, the HBA provides structured interview preparation and an educational booklet to ensure students are fully prepared for recruiting.